Birdwatcher’s Diary No.119

Published on: 26 Sep, 2016
Updated on: 25 Sep, 2016

By Malcolm Fincham

The season of butterflies has been grinding to a close with not much possibility of adding any more to the respectable 40 species I have been fortunate to see this year. So it’s been time to turn back to my primary interest of birdwatching.

View from Denbies Hillside. Click on all pictures to enlarge in a new window.

However, with the return of my good friend Bob from his summer stay in Scotland, we were eager to get views of what butterflies might be still on the wing. So on September September 8 it was one last trip to Denbies Hillside near Dorking. On sunny days looking out across the Surrey Hills can be an inspiration in itself.

Male Adonis blue on Denbies Hillside.

Although Adonis blues were fewer than on my previous visit, with most looking well beyond their ‘sell-by date’, a few still remained worthy of a photo.

Brown argus on Denbies Hillside.

Brown Argus, although also fewer, still, mostly, remained in good condition.

A view across the lagoon at Farlington Marshes.

The highlight of my past two weeks were a couple of trips on consecutive Sundays to Farlington Marshes, Portsmouth. This was in the hope of a chance of a last wave goodbye to the numerous species of summer breeding birds that were now making their return south, many of whom were heading for their winter stay in Africa.

Robin at Farlington.

The first welcoming sound on my first visit there on September 11, was from a robin, singing its melodious song.

Waders on the lagoon – mostly grey plovers.

A few waders seen on the mudflats.

With the tide at its lowest that day, I was right not to expect to see many waders on the inland lagoon, only getting distant views of a few wading out on the mudflats.

Little egret on the mudflats at Farlington.

Close to view were a few little egrets, striding by, looking for an easy meal.

Bearded tit in the reeds.

A few bearded tits could be heard ‘pinging’ some distance away, occasionally glimpsing them as they flew low, disappearing into the reeds, probably still feeding on their ‘summertime’ food of invertebrates, before switching to their winter diet of seeds.

Bearded tit in flight.

The sighting of a kestrel is a regular one there.

Female kestrel at Farlington.

Male kestrel at Farlington.

Kestrel in flight.

Enabling me to get some reasonable photos of both male and female.

Starlings at Farlington.

Also inland, patrolling the many brambles, now full of ripe blackberries, was a large flock of starlings. Enjoying the abundant supply of fruit on offer there.

Also flitting around, protected from predators, by the spiky stems of the bushes, were several species of warblers, some of them youngsters, soon to make their first long trip to Africa..

Little brown jobs, or LBJs, is an informal name commonly used for a number of species of small brown passerine birds, especially warblers, many of which are notoriously difficult to distinguish. This is especially true at this time of the year for females and young birds, which lack much colouring.

A young common whitethroat.

Not instantly distinguishable, to me, was this first year common whitethroat.

Chiffchaff at Farlington.

On first sighting, I also thought I had a willow warbler in view, though on noticing its dark coloured legs, suggested, chiffchaff.

Stonechat perched on a fencepost.

One bird easily recognised, however and common on our Surrey heathlands throughout the year, was a stonechat, perched on a fence post.

Wheatear.

Its cousin, the whinchat, however, although also present, was soon about to leave our shores on its journey south. Along with the several wheatears, recognised immediately (especially when in flight) by their white rumps.

Marsh harrier at Farlington.

A pleasant end for the day there was the sighting once again of a marsh harrier. Having also seen one at Farlington on my visit just a few weeks previous.

The following weekend at Farlington on September 18 was far more productive in terms of sightings, as well as photos. Assisted by a ‘posse of pals,’ adding five more pairs of eyes.

Black-tailed godwits.

As well as aided by a high tide, pushing a variety of waders up on to the main lagoon. We saw a large flock of black-tailed godwits.

Juvenile knot.

And among the flocks a number of knots and dunlins.

Curlew sandpipers.

Also counting at least, six curlew sandpipers.

Grey plovers.

In a separate flock was a ‘congregation’ of grey plover, known as the black-bellied plover in North America.

A parcel of oystercatchers.

While behind them on the far side of the scrape, a flock of oystercatchers.

Redshank.

Redshanks flying in from the sea, left me unable to resist a few photos too.

Greenshank.

While a greenshank waded through shallow water.

Common snipe.

On the edge of the reed bed a common snipe appeared.

Bearded tits in flight.

We also sighted a flock of a dozen or more bearded tits as they flew low across the reeds, occasionally giving the opportunity of a few record shots.

Reed warbler.

As well as a reed warbler as it poked its head above the reeds.

Barnacle goose.

Walking clockwise around the 3.7 mile circuit, looking across from near the visitor hut, we noticed a barnacle goose on the grass, alongside it, several Canada geese.

A population of feral barnacle geese now exists in southern England. These birds are largely resident (wild barnacle geese are winter visitors to parts of Scotland and Ireland) and breeding is frequent. Away from these strongholds, individual feral and escaped birds often join flocks of their far more abundant relative, the Canada goose.

Female shovller.

Although still no sign yet of wigeon or pintail ducks around the reserve, arriving back from their northern breeding grounds, close by, one of a few shoveller sat at the water’s edge posing in an unusual manner.

Cetti’s warbler.

The usual sound there of a Cetti’s warbler could be also heard close by, even catching a few glimpses of this elusive bird.

Two black swans among a flock of mute swans.

Arriving at the eastern sea wall we immediately noticed two black swans among a flock of mute swans.

Osprey, top left, in a dead tree.

Looking east in the direction of Hayling Island, we managed to pick out a juvenile osprey, perched in a dead tree, eating a fish. On the limits of my range of zoom of my camera, I was just about able to get a few record shots.

A wedge of little egrets.

Looking inland, we counted at least 18 little egrets, or to use one of its collective nouns ‘a wedge’.

While along the seawall, several of those ‘white arses’ (wheatear) that I saw on my previous Farlington visit, could still be seen readying themselves for their journey back to Africa.

Small heath butterfly.

Several species of butterflies also continued to ‘grace the air’ too. These included numerous small heaths, annoyingly and as always landing with wings folded.

Clouded yellow butterfly.

Clouded yellows have a similar habit, rarely opening their wings when they settle. Counting at least six there, we noticed one in particular, looked very pale. Thinking at first it might be a subspecies, we concluded it to be just ‘washed-out’.

Small copper butterfly at Farlington.

A small copper was far more obliging, wings open, showing its splendid colour.

Sandwich tern – now in non-breeding plumage.

A gratifying end to the day was watching a sandwich tern, now out of its summer breeding plumage, as it flew alongside the harbour wall, occasionally diving for a fish.